1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of catering apparatus, and in particular, to a portable, collapsible chafing dish.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food catering services typically serve the prepared foods from a buffet line from a plurality of chafing dishes or trays which are typically comprised of a stand for holding a double-boiler pan and for positioning a heat source under the double-boiler pan. The double-boiler pan is partially filled with water and a serving dish is nested within it. The serving may also be provided with a cover. In this manner, heat from the heat source, typically a candle or a fuel can, such as manufactured under the trademark, STERNO, is used to transfer heat to the water in the double-boiler pan from whence it is transferred through vapor convection to the serving pan and the food therein.
The chafing dishes are expensive to manufacture, and even when robustly made, generally have a limited life due to repeated or rough handling. This is particularly the case in the application of mobile catering where the chafing dishes must be transferred from a storage space in the catering kitchen, to the catering truck, transported to the catering site and then set up on the buffet table at the catering site. After the catering service is rendered, the process is reversed. Repeated rough handling in this type of environment eventually results in damage to the chafing dish.
In the case where the chafing dish has been made portable by having collapsible design so that storage of multiple chafing dishes within the limited space of the catering truck is facilitated, the design which permits portability generally compromises its structural rigidity and robustness. Therefore, portable and collapsible chafing dishes have even a more limited life time in catering applications than the more bulky and noncollapsible rigid chafing dishes.
Several types of collapsible chafing dishes or cooking implements have been devised. Lee, "Cooking Utensil," U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,486 (1978) shows a cooking utensil comprising a bottom pan 10, and inner pan 30 which fits into bottom pan 10. A space is provided between the walls of inner pan 30 and the opposing walls of bottom pan 10. A cover 12 for bottom pan 10 and inner pan 30 is also provided. Inner pan 30 includes a perforated bottom 31, perforated opposing side walls 32 and 33 and perforated opposing end walls 35 and 36. Handles 39 and 40 are attached to side walls 35 and 36 respectively. End walls 35 and 36 are hinged at the lower corners to the side walls by pivot pins 38. The open configuration of pan 30 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Lee shows a nested set of pans with covers that included at least one foldable side on one of the pans.
Martin, "Collapsible Baking Pan," U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,966 (1974) shows a baking pan 10 in FIG. 1 which is comprised of base 11 and four sides 12-15 each of which are hinged by hinges 16 to base 11. The hinges include fold out support 17 shown in side view in FIG. 4 and in prospective view in FIG. 3. Each support 17 includes a laterally extending number 18 having a hinged upstanding member 19 which hold sides 12-15 in place when the sides are in a closed position. The baking pan is formed from light weight material such as aluminum. While relevant for showing a hinged pan, Martin does not suggest a nested pan within a foldable hinged chafing body.
Kratz, "Baking Pan," U.S. Pat. No. 1,714,379, (1929), shows a baking pan having a bottom 1 each side of which is provided with a cylindrical roll 2, side walls 4 and end walls 5. Each side has a lower end provided with a U-shaped extension 6 which is adapted to be received within roll 2 so that each side wall 4 and end wall 5 is hinged to bottom 1. The ends of side walls 4 and rolled about a reinforcing wire 8, seen in FIG. 2, while ends of end walls 5 are shaped to provide a cylindrical rolled extension 9 which receive the rolled ends of side walls 4.
While Kratz is relevant for showing a collapsible rectangular unit, Kratz fails to suggest a combination with a chafing pan and moreover would have to be materially modified to eliminate the bottom side 1.
Lewitzky, "Baking Pan," U.S. Pat. No. 1,261,566 (1918) shows a baking pan having a bottom 6 with an up-standing side and end flanges 7 and 8 respectively, side walls 10 and end walls 13. Each wall has a lower end which is hinged to the respective side. In addition, and hinged flange and latch 20 are pivotally connected to a flange 15, seen in FIG. 1 of each end wall 13. Latch 20 is received by a loop 23 in each side wall 12. Lewitzky is relevant for showing the construction of a collapsible pan although not in an overall combination in chafing pan.
What is needed, therefore, is a chafing dish which can be compactly stored and transported, but which is of such a design that it is neither bulky or prone to damage by ordinary rough handling. A portable collapsible chafing dish which folds flatly or compactly to facilitate storage in limited space of multiple units of the chafing dish is needed.